Where Not to Go in the Greater Tokyo Area

There are a lot of guides on where to go and what to do in the Greater Tokyo area, but nobody really says what places are not worth going to.  I learned that not just because a place is a famous tourist spot, it should be included in one's itinerary.  It would only be a waste of time, money, and "foot power" if you're commuting.


There are some places that should only be visited in certain times of the year.  If you are traveling during winter, it's better to skip going to gardens and parks since all you're going to see are bald trees.  The best time to visit these places is during spring (the sakura season), typically during mid-April.




Everybody has the Imperial Palace on their bucket list when visiting Tokyo.  Quite frankly, it's a bit of a hype because there is nothing much to see there.  The main part of the palace is generally closed off to visitors and you really won't be seeing the palace.  This place is for people who like strolling through parks and that's it.

Another tourist spot that we found was not worth the trip and entrance fee was the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum.

I don't know why it is called a "museum" when it doesn't really look like it.  Once you get inside, there's a souvenir shop with facts about the history of ramen.  You can buy different kinds of instant ramen and you can make your own ramen combination to take home. Downstairs are small vintage-looking ramen shops with very long lines of people waiting to eat. This place is only recommended if you're truly a die-hard ramen fanatic and won't mind spending to have a look and wait in line at the ramen shops.  As for me, I learned that bringing teenage boys here was a drag for them.

Yokohama Chinatown boasts of having more than 600 shops and is the biggest Chinatown in Japan.

The biggest establishment there is Yokohama Daisekai, an eight-story shopping complex which also houses a trick art museum with an entrance fee that is more expensive than the trick art museum in Landmark Plaza.

Maybe it was because we got there at night already, but the majority of what we saw were lots of Chinese restaurants.  They were so many that we had a hard time picking where to eat.  They also overshadowed the retail shops and fortune tellers.

Yokohama Chinatown is not entirely a place to avoid going to.  Visit it if you want to shop for Chinese goods and souvenirs, if you want to eat at Chinese restaurants, and if you want to have your fortune told.  I wouldn't recommend bringing kids of any age here as they would find it really boring and tiresome walking.

I hope in some way this helps in planning your itinerary.  Alternatively, I'll be posting a list of places to visit with teenage kids soon.  Follow me through Instagram @reclusivetraveler and Facebook for updates.  Till next time!